John Martin, the incoming managing partner of Baker Botts.
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Baker Botts incoming managing partner, John W Martin, is looking to expand the Houston-based firm's presence in hot legal markets while continuing to deepen its roots in Texas.

Martin, who takes the helm on 1 April, said his initial priorities are adding lawyers on the US east and west coasts and in London, strengthening the 179-year-old firm's position in Texas and continuing its "outward focus" on clients in the technology and energy industries.

Partners in the 725-lawyer firm elected Martin on Wednesday to a four-year term as managing partner. He succeeds Andrew Baker, who was first elected in 2012 and faces mandatory retirement at the end of the year after 40 years with the firm.

Martin, who is in his 35th year at Baker Botts, is currently partner-in-charge of the firm's Palo Alto office. He is also the firmwide partner-in-charge of recruiting and a member of the firm's executive committee.

Baker said a group of senior partners unanimously recommended Martin as managing partner, selecting him out of four partners who sought to take on the leadership role. The others, according to the firm, were Richard Husseini, a partner in Houston who is chair of the tax department; Robert Scheinfeld, an intellectual property partner in New York; and Danny David, a litigation partner in Houston. None of the other candidates immediately returned telephone messages.

Baker said he's known Martin for more than 30 years, and his successor has the experience and attributes to lead the firm and meet market challenges.

"Having worked closely with John for most of my career, there's no one better," Baker said, noting that they worked together as young lawyers on the same client teams in the 1980s, and both helped Baker Botts open its Dallas office in 1985.

Baker said Martin has proven to be a great leader because of his success in growing the firm's Palo Alto office since 2013, and as head of recruiting. He said support for Martin as managing partner was broad-based throughout the firm.

"John's leadership is broadly embraced in every office, every practice group, among lawyers and other professionals," Baker said.

Martin, who intends to continue living in California, said it's important that Baker Botts continues to differentiate itself as a firm focused on technology and energy clients. Despite its Texas roots, he said, the firm counts 15 of its 25 largest clients in the tech sector.

"That doesn't indicate anything in terms of decline at all in the energy sector, but it's reflective of increasing strength in the tech sector," he said.

Martin said the firm has succeeded in growing on both coasts and in London, and he will continue to look at adding lawyers in London, New York and Washington DC, as well as in the Bay Area. Baker Botts opened a San Francisco office in 2016, adding to its Palo Alto location, which opened in 2008.

"Since January 2018, we've added 24 new lateral partners – 90% outside of Texas," Martin said.

However, he said, the firm will also aim to strengthen its "industry-leading" position in Texas, because it's the "core of the franchise".

As for new locations, Martin said Baker Botts is engaged in "preliminary discussions" in certain markets, but any addition to the firm's network of 14 offices must be client-driven.

Martin said his role as partner-in-charge of recruiting has been great preparation for the managing partner job, because it's given him great "visibility" into all parts of the firm. "The thing I've learned the most is the need to focus on our strengths and articulating our strategy," he said.

Martin's practice is focused on M&A, corporate governance, capital markets and complex technology transactions. He said his clients over the years have included Accenture, AT&T, CA Technologies, BearingPoint, Sallie Mae, Perot Systems and Dell.

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Further Reading:

In Growth Mode, Baker Botts Bets on Tech